MA Film Making

Sound

A large part of a film's meaning is carried in its soundtrack. Most directors know this but few of them know how that soundtrack is created - unless they are graduates of MA Filmmaking programme at the London Film School, where every student, whatever their preferred field, is taught the theory and practice of recording and manipulating sound.

Monitoring sound on set.

It starts with the study of how we hear sound, and indeed what sound is. Next comes practical experience with Nagra portable recorders, together with the electrical theory needed to understand how they work.

Then comes shooting sound in synchronisation with picture, also the principles behind a full range of modern microphones which are then used on location and in the studio.

Later in the course, there is digital recording, theory and practice again, all applied to the shooting and post-production of short 35mm films post-produced to feature standards. This means going to the dubbing theatre with tracks prepared on audio work stations so that they can be mixed in Dolby stereo.

Production sound is recorded on Nagra V digital hard drive recorders. There is a full range of modern microphones, including Micron radio mics. and stereo mics. used to record sound for Dolby SR post production on Protools 24 work stations.

At last, it might be thought, after all that acquiring of technical knowledge 'Sound Design' begins. Well, without technical knowledge there is nothing to design with. But imagination - hard to teach conventionally but essential to filmmaking - is always required of a student, right from the moment in their second term when they start to think how their pictures and sounds might work together to stir an audience. That audience most likely will never understand how they have been affected, but a filmmaker graduating from the school will know since they have learnt how to work with sound and make it work for them.

Photography of Howard Thompson

Head of Sound is Howard Thompson

After graduation (BA Oxon. English Lang. and Lit.) Howard worked in TV, then in cutting rooms and subsequently as a writer and sound recordist on many documentaries. He has also written three childrens' features and ran the sound department at the legendary Royal Court Theatre.

Wojciech Wrzesniewski - Sound Department lecturer
Gary Taylor - Sound Department Assistant
James Youngs - Sound Department Assistant

Top